Alex_uk: 40 years in the making

[alex_uk]

Been limited in time so haven’t replied to all you awesome people, but will do shortly. Firstly before I forgot thought:

Dark(or in my case dead) horse week 1 day 1

Conditioning: cycling (bought a cheap second hand bike went to try it out) couple of miles mostly uphill - probably a mistake pre-deads, could barely make the stairs to the garage, been a while since I cycled properly.

Gs1:
kB swings: 24kg X 5 X 5 sets
Deads: 60, 100, 120, 140, 160kg X 5
Cable crunch: 40kg X 10 X 5 sets
Burpee pull-ups: 5 X 5 sets

Gs 2:
kB swings: 24kg X 5 X 3 sets
Deads: 120kg X 10 X 3 sets
Cable crunch: 40kg X 10 X 3 sets
Burpee pull-ups: 5 X 3 sets

Emoms:
Squat: 60kg & red bands X 3 X 10 sets
S/s
Inverted rows: 5 X 10 sets

That was horrific I’m so out of shape, deads felt fantastic up until 160, the chiro was probably partly right about that continuous aggravating and not letting it rest. Hated almost all of that (from 160 onwards) - @T3hPwnisher your advice above is certainly useful for getting through something you hate but is good for you, it certainly was an hour of suffering (well slightly more because I increased rest periods which in turn prolonged the agony).

[alex_uk]

@carlbm

Have you called any local gyms up to see if they know of any comps/shows? I only found one through a guy I know at the gym.
Strong man still seems to be a small tight knit community. With word of mouth taking president over genuine advertising

I have not, good idea!

@carlbm

Either way I can tell you (from my singular experience) contest prep is fun. Its a constant voice edging you to push harder and get better. I think you’ll enjoy it. And it will bring out the best in you.

Yea pretty sure that’s true, I am now mentally committed to doing one, just a matter of when/where, I love where I live but any big events are always a massive trek.

@Frank_C

I’m not sure how your schedule is going to pan out, but you can do a lot with a little.

That’s very true! I often forget that and let great be the enemy of good.

@Frank_C

If life is winning the battle for time and energy,

That was the case the first week, just not feasible to train, the second week was the kicker though, wasn’t time, it was mental, I just didn’t want to, probably didn’t help that I think I was about 3 shots behind on TRT (unusual for me but my shots are morning, because they can screw up sleep for me, but my mornings were so crazy that I just missed them and thought I’d catch up, the next day, bad move).

@Frank_C

I hate seeing guys commit to a training program and then end up doing nothing because time screws up the plan. I get the desire to follow something, but it’s not worth stressing out and scrapping things altogether.

Definitely worth remembering, I like to be true to a program and hate to see myself changing things, always feels like I’m taking the easy route/path of least resistance, which in the weight game is almost universally the wrong path.

@flipcollar

I know that if I stopped training indefinitely, I’d end up back at like 160 lbs, lol. I don’t ever want to be close to that again.

Ha, yea it’s a great motivator, I started at 151lbs (6’2) and I like you, I’d really rather not see that again!

@T3hPwnisher

And don’t get me started on nutrition. Find me a magic lamp, give me some mutant powers, get me some gamma radiation, find me a temple of Cyttorak: I’ll take ANYTHING. But until any of that can happen, this is just the only way to get what I want. It looks like you’re heading there as well.

Yea I think I am heading there, it’s a helpful mindset, if I do end up enjoying something that’s a bonus, but keep your eyes on the target and keep in mind the suffering is very brief and has so many enormous benefits that it would be foolish not to. Need to get here with the nutrition side though, made some small improvements this week, including some meal prep, significant amounts to go, need to embed it as habit thought.

@T3hPwnisher

Far better than people that spend 23 hours hating what they are so they can spend an hour indulging in whatever it is that can help them escape.

So very true.

[alex_uk]

DH: week 1 day 2

Wanted nothing more than to skip this entirely, slept awfully last night (both in quantity and quality) dragged myself through the day feeling like crap, daughter was off school because she’s ill, probably something going around cos my wife isn’t good either, also still got quite a lot of DOMS from the other days deadlifting session. Figured I’d phone in the cardio then the rest would be low rep bench - I could get through it…

Then these pricks (I mean this in the British endearing way) @T3hPwnisher @jdm135 @ChongLordUno, got in my head and I got to the treadmill, put some pumping music on and went for it. Got to about 9 mins and genuinely thought I’m going to vomit, told myself that’s fine I can vomit, but push up the speed and do it when you’ve finished.

I assume this is a running PR for me:

Didn’t vomit after all…could have pushed harder!

Well the wheels were in motion now:

Gs1:
Cable b/o row: 60kg X 5 X 7 sets (beautiful lat MMC, might be because of DOMS)
Bench: 60, 70, 80kg X 5, 90, 100, 110, 120kg X 1
Ab rolls: 5 X 7 sets
6 count Burpees: 5 X 7 sets

Gs2:
Cable b/o row: 60kg X 3 sets
Bench: 95kg X 10, 5, 5
Ab rolls: 5 X 3 sets
6 count Burpees: 5 X 3 sets

Emoms:
Ohp: red bands & 30kg X 3 X 10 sets
S/s
Cable Tri pd: 20kg X 10 X 9 sets + 60 reps on set 10th (continuous)

Done, in less than 50 mins, absolutely flat out never took over 90 secs rest, left nothing on the table, even the burpees were done with real conviction, although they were pretty slow from that set of 10 at 95kg on the bench. Had a brief moment of thinking about the body during this, specifically about how it’s only interested in survival, and therefore the adaptions are surely proportional to the amount of stress imposed upon it - made sense to me. Horrible session in the best kind of way.

[alex_uk]

Also I now feel like I need to make a 10 min 1.5 mile a goal even though I hate running and not entirely sure it’ll benefit me in any major way.

[dagill2]

Fantastic work my man.

[ChongLordUno]

That’s the bulldog spirit @alex_uk my man

[simo74]

@alex_uk

Had a brief moment of thinking about the body during this, specifically about how it’s only interested in survival,

funny how we have these thoughts when we are trashing ourselves. Its in these moments that the body literally tries all sorts of tricks to make us think we have to stop but time and time again people prove that its nothing more than mind games.

[alex_uk]

@dagill2

Fantastic work my man.

@ChongLordUno

That’s the bulldog spirit @alex_uk my man

Thanks my Brutish British Bros!

@simo74

Its in these moments that the body literally tries all sorts of tricks to make us think we have to stop but time and time again people prove that its nothing more than mind games.

Oh for sure, I often feel like I’ve pushed hard, sweating profusely and heart going a million BPM but probably still quite far from true failure, particularly with lifting, seems easier to get there on conditioning, but that might be a lack of fitness or yet still another mind game!

[anna_5588]

@alex_uk

Oh for sure, I often feel like I’ve pushed hard, sweating profusely and heart going a million BPM but probably still quite far from true failure,

It’s the trippiest when you feel like you’re dying at the end of the set and somehow recover after 90 sec

or when you fail warmups but end up hitting a PR

[Frank_C]

1.42 in 10 min… good grief.

[alex_uk]

Yea that’s got me thinking I’m actually not terrible at running, hate it, and hate life when doing it, but a 10 min mile and a half seems on the cards, certainly closer than a 250kg deadlift… Stupid body being good at stuff I hate and crap at stuff I love.

[alex_uk]

@anna_5588

somehow recover after 90 sec

Yea that so very much the case with dark horse, literally in the floor gasping and feeling ill by the end of some of the hard sets, thinking no way can I carry on, about 75 seconds I’m back on my feet and maybe not raring to go, but at least able to go again, madness.

[simo74]

@alex_uk

Yea that so very much the case with dark horse, literally in the floor gasping and feeling ill by the end of some of the hard sets, thinking no way can I carry on, about 75 seconds I’m back on my feet and maybe not raring to go, but at least able to go again

I find that when I am completely gassed after a prowler run, like gasping for breath cant get enough air in gassed, I am actually better when I start the next rep. I just seem to breath better and get the rep done. I used to be the same when running 400s or 200s. Totally spent at the end of the effort but as soon as coach blew the whistle and I had to run again I just got on with it and stopped gasping!

[alex_uk]

@simo74

I just seem to breath better and get the rep done. I used to be the same when running 400s or 200s. Totally spent at the end of the effort but as soon as coach blew the whistle and I had to run again I just got on with it and stopped gasping!

Do you think this is the blowing out the first lung principle that I’ve heard mentioned before (fighters?). Wonder if it’s the body overcompensating in the first instance and regulating properly thereafter?

[alex_uk]

Been struggling for time again this week, squeezed this session in despite every fibre of my body telling me to get stuffed and chill out. Almost switched in an ohp session to make it easier on myself, even have a slightly messed up back to make the excuse real, but in the end I manned up and did the squats …

Conditioning:

Stolen directly from @Koestrizer

5 X 300m row sprints 30s rest each set

Kept each 300m sprint to 1 min, last 2 might have just been slightly over (rower keeps counting a few seconds after you stop and I was so ruined by the 4th and 5th I couldn’t keep track) - so so close to being sick this time (mouth started watering, sat outside in full expectation of blowing chunks).

That sucked so hard. It took a long while to get up the steps to the garage and get started.

Gs1:
Jumps (started within swings but after 2 rounds my back was complaining: 3 jumps X 3 sets
Ssb: 60, 80, 100, 120kg X 5
Cable crunch: 60kg X 10 X 4
Banded jumping jacks: 10 X 4 sets

Probably could have pushed for 130kg but back was giving warning, made up for it:

Gs2:
Jumps: 3, 1
Ssb: 100kg X 20
Cable crunch: 60kg x 10
BJJ: 10

20 reps was a flat out effort, took a video will upload later, went for round two and very nearly fell over after first jump, couldn’t straighten my legs quads were spasming, called it there.

Emoms:
Deads (these have a small deficit): red bands & 80kg X 3 X 10
S/s
Poundstone (empty axle 8.5kg): 10 X 9, 10th set: 110 reps unbroken, no pause.

Smashed it despite not wanting to do anything at all, if I’ve only 2/3 hours a week to spare I best give it everything, otherwise I’m wasting my own time.

[Koestrizer]

Great effort mate! 1 min on those sprints is a serious time. Now I guess I need to up you one, eh?

[alex_uk]

Haha well you beat me in all of the stuff I actually care about, I’ve got to have something!

[anna_5588]

@alex_uk

I’ve only 2/3 hours a week to spare I best give it everything, otherwise I’m wasting my own time.

love the attitude!!

[Koestrizer]

For now… the rower is the only thing in the realm of conditioning at which I can be competitive in for reasons I haven’t fully figured out yet.

[alex_uk]

SSB - 100kg X 20

Full giant set, including me crawling from the squat to the cable ab crunch (off camera) and making a lot of noise. Walking around a lot today, that sucks, probably helpful for recovery but I’m still walking round like Frankenstein’s monster.